South Dakota Department of Transportation
Project Synopsis
Project SD2005-06

TITLE: Proactive Noise Avoidance and Mitigation Measures
Project Researcher(s): Kenneth Avery
Project Researcher(s) Location:

Project Manager: Hal Rumpca
Research Period: 5/16/2005 - 11/30/2006
Status:Completed
Cost:$134500

Problem Statement :

The SDDOT Noise Analysis and Abatement Guidelines/Policy states that noise abatement measures must be reasonable and feasible. Feasibility deals primarily with abatement and not with avoiding noise impacts. The policy also states that highway traffic noise should be reduced through a shared responsibility with local governments. It states that local governments should use their power to regulate land development in such a way that noise sensitive land uses are either prohibited from being located adjacent to a highway or that the developments are planned, designed, and constructed in such a way that noise impacts are minimized.

The SDDOT, working with local governments, implemented a Highway Access Control process that is being successfully used to educate business and community leaders, developers, and regulatory staff. However, the SDDOT has not worked with local governments to develop policies, ordinances, subdivision regulations, or other processes that can be used to help avoid or abate highway noise and provide cost effective alternatives to the construction of noise barriers. The SDDOT needs to consider a range of options and strategies to educate and encourage noise compatible planning in the vicinity of all highways but particularly new or expanded highways. The Department also needs to develop options for local government so developers assume the cost of noise abatement strategies such as barriers if they choose to develop in noise sensitive locations.

Research is needed to refine the SDDOT Noise Analysis and Abatement Policy, develop procedures, scoping and design guidelines, sample ordinances, subdivision regulations, training materials and other cost effective solutions to deal with the highway traffic noise problems. The research should produce materials that the SDDOT and local agencies can use to provide information to elected officials, public works officials, planners, developers, and the interested public about the problem of highway noise and cost effective responses to that problem. A South Dakota based video that explains noise impacts, avoidance, and mitigation measures should be developed to help identify and explain issues concerning development in noise sensitive areas. Finally, the research should provide scoping, environmental, and design guidelines for use by the SDDOT that includes a review of the impacts of rumble strips, surfacing types and textures for roadways in noise sensitive areas.

Research Objectives:
1. Equip the Department and local agencies to educate elected officials, business & community leaders, developers, local staff, and interested citizens, on the application, advantages, and public and private benefits of noise mitigation and avoidance measures.
2. Recommend policies and guidelines for the SDDOT to use to determine appropriate designs and roadway surfaces in noise sensitive areas.
3. Define performance measures, identify sources of supporting data, and validate their ability to assess the effectiveness of noise avoidance and mitigation measures applied in South Dakota.

Research Tasks:
1. Meet with the project's technical panel to review the project's scope and work plan.
2. Review and summarize existing research concerning design and construction of roadways that mitigate or avoid noise, as well as the highway noise analysis and abatement policies and guidelines of state and local agencies in South Dakota.
3. Through interviews with state and local planning professionals and other stakeholders, develop background and identify key issues related to noise pollution in South Dakota.
4. Through review of current and recent literature, and through contact with other states that are geographically and demographically similar to South Dakota, identify concepts and techniques for avoiding, abating, and controlling roadway noise.
5. Prepare a technical memorandum based on prior tasks to support scoping and design considerations related to noise avoidance, as well as noise compatible planning measures such as land use planning, ordinances, zoning, sub-division regulations, and building codes. Discuss the costs, benefits, advantages, disadvantages, and feasibility of such measures.
6. Identify effective noise avoidance, mitigation and abatement measures designed to protect and preserve land uses in existence prior to initiation of Type I (new location or alignment) and Type II (noise abatement on an existing highway) highway projects.
7. Meet with the project's technical panel to summarize the findings of prior tasks and to propose, for the panel's approval, concepts that will form the technical basis for the remaining tasks.
8. If approved by the panel after task 7, draft an improved noise analysis and abatement policy for the Department, identifying additional guidelines and implementation procedures for the SDDOT to facilitate consistent and effective noise management. This task should include scoping, environmental, and design guidelines that are consistent with the 1995 FHWA “Highway Traffic Noise Analysis and Abatement Policy and Guidance”. The task should also provide recommendations on the use of rumble strips, surfacing types and textures for roadways in noise sensitive areas.
9. Draft model ordinances or ordinance sections to support noise compatible measures such as land use planning, ordinances, zoning, sub-division regulations, and building codes, that can be used for noise compatible design, construction, and placement of buildings, improvements and structures.
10. Prepare a technical memorandum and meet with the project's technical panel to review the draft noise policy, recommended design guidelines, model ordinances, and effectiveness measures.
11. Conduct workshops in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, with elected officials, business leaders, developers, and other professionals as identified by the technical panel, to validate the draft noise policy, design guidelines, model ordinances, and effectiveness measures.
12. Revise the draft noise policy, design guidelines, model ordinances, and effectiveness measures, based on the comments and direction of the technical panel as well as feedback obtained from the two workshops.
13. Prepare materials, including a 10 to 15 minute South Dakota based noise avoidance and abatement video that state and local agencies can use to educate elected officials, business and community leaders, developers, interested citizens, and local staff on the application and benefits of the noise policy, ordinances, and effectiveness measures.
14. Prepare an implementation plan that identifies resources and strategies that state and local officials can use to market the noise policy, design guidelines, model ordinances, and effectiveness measures, including organizational procedures for implementing the policy by the Department.
15. Complete an analysis of the research benefits that identifies and quantifies the benefits that can be expected as a result of this research.
16. Prepare a final report summarizing the research methodology, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
17. Make an executive presentation to the SDDOT's Research Review Board at the conclusion of the project.


Findings: The research produced training and educational materials that the SDDOT and local agencies can use to provide information to elected officials, public works officials, planners, developers, and the interested public about highway noise. A South Dakota based video that explains noise impacts, avoidance, and mitigation measures was developed to help identify and explain issues concerning development in noise-sensitive areas. The research provided scoping, environmental, and design guidelines for use by the SDDOT and included a review of the impacts of rumble strips, surfacing types, and textures for roadways in noise-sensitive areas. This research produced model ordinances, zoning, sub-division regulations, and building codes that can be used by local agencies in noise-sensitive areas. It also provided an implementation plan and supporting materials that state and local officials can use to market these products to public and private constituents in South Dakota. The project built on the cooperative efforts of state, local, and private entities in South Dakota.

Proactive Noise Avoidance and Mitigation Measures Video Windows Media File